The Austin Republican was viewed as the front-runner to lead the Homeland Security Department despite clashes with Trump over immigration policy and the border wall.

WASHINGTON — Austin congressman Michael McCaul is reportedly out of contention to run the Homeland Security Department, after weeks of speculation that he was the front-runner.

The department has been without a permanent leader for months, since President Donald Trump moved former Marine Gen. John Kelly, his first homeland security chief, to the White House as chief of staff.

Politico reported Thursday morning that McCaul has been eliminated from consideration, and the administration is "back to square one" in the search to replace Kelly. Aides to McCaul, who chairs the House Homeland Security committee, did not immediately respond to requests to discuss the development.

A White House spokeswoman, Kelly Love, said only that "we will let you know once we have any official personnel announcements."

Deputy secretary Elaine Duke, a career civil servant, has run the department as acting secretary since Kelly left two months ago. Her public profile has grown somewhat during the crises triggered by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, but she remains one of the less visible Cabinet members.

Trump considered McCaul for the post before taking office. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was another contender in that round, though Trump picked Kelly and ended up putting Perry in another Cabinet role as energy secretary.

Trump reportedly had wanted to move Perry into the vacancy but he declined. Instead, Perry advocated in private and public for his fellow Texan, calling McCaul "ideal" for the assignment.

But McCaul has never been a perfect fit with Trump, though he served as a national security adviser during the campaign and helped prepare the candidate for televised debates.

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Like many Texas Republicans, McCaul takes a far more welcoming view toward immigration than Trump. Politico reported that Kelly, the chief of staff, had pointed that out to the president during the job search.

McCaul was deeply critical of Trump's initial travel ban aimed at certain predominantly Muslim countries. He has consistently distanced himself from Trump on Russia — which Trump resists criticizing — by depicting Russia as a dangerous adversary and warning that strongman Vladimir Putin tried to meddle in the U.S. presidential election.

His committee will consider a bill on Wednesday that calls for $10 billion for a barrier and other security measures to stop illegal border crossing and smuggling. Aides have promoted that as a major step toward delivering Trump's promise of a border wall.

But the legislation is vague as to how much funding would be dedicated for a physical barrier, as opposed to surveillance technology and other tools — providing fodder to immigration hardliners who opposed his nomination and deride him as "no wall McCaul."

House Homeland Chairman McCaul was angling for the DHS job last time, but his reputation as "No Wall McCaul" should be a deal-killer.

Todd J. Gillman. Todd has been Washington Bureau Chief since 2009, six years after joining the bureau.
Before that he covered East Texas, City Hall and politics. He started at The Dallas Morning News in 1989 as an intern. He has been elected twice to the White House Correspondents’ Association board, with a term ending in 2020.
Todd has a Master in Public Policy from Harvard and a BA from Johns Hopkins in international studies.